Where can you get crinkle wall or drag radials from?
Discussion
TheMighty said:
Which do you want? Wrinkle wall slicks, wrinkle wall treads, or drag radials?
I suspect Lee@LA Racing Parts will be along any moment now.
Just curious on pricing and availability. But potentially any of the above would be a big step up from normal street tyres, so I'd be open to any option.I suspect Lee@LA Racing Parts will be along any moment now.
If it's for the Camaro and you're going the drag radial route I'd suggest that any rim size under 17" will give you more sidewall than you can use and even with the relatively narrow peak slip angle/ratio of a drag radial the car won't be able to make the most of the tyre.
The other thing you may want to consider is http://www.bmrsuspension.com/?page=products&pr... if you value your legs.
The other thing you may want to consider is http://www.bmrsuspension.com/?page=products&pr... if you value your legs.
TheMighty speaks with great insight. Before you do this, satisfy yourself that you understand the consequences on your rear end (no pun intended), your transmission and be sure the start line grip you seek won't be negated by the losses you may encounter with drag tyres. In most cases, this is not a bolt-on answer to anything except for emptying your wallet.
Ta.
Happy I know enough. I'm not looking for front wheel lifting starts. But the last time I went to the Pod it was so slippery that I was getting wheelspin at over 50mph, which frankly was dangerous. 60' times where awful.
I just want to be able to plant it (auto, so kinder on the rear axle) and not worry about massive wheelspin.
Happy I know enough. I'm not looking for front wheel lifting starts. But the last time I went to the Pod it was so slippery that I was getting wheelspin at over 50mph, which frankly was dangerous. 60' times where awful.
I just want to be able to plant it (auto, so kinder on the rear axle) and not worry about massive wheelspin.
TheMighty said:
Shocks, torque arm, lower control arms and geometry of the latter two.
I'm not building a car for the strip though. I just want more traction/grip when I do go. Plenty of guys in the US seem to manage fine with fairly stock cars and sticky tyres. Can't really see what the problem is.Do you have any links of places to buy in the UK?
Thanks.
The guys in the US with "fairly stock" cars have usually done all the right stuff and go really well, or they've half done the job and wonder why their car is 3 tenths slower than the guy who knows there's more to traction than "sticky tyres". You only have to read LS1tech with your sensibly cynical head on to see the truth in a lot of what is posted there. Nothing that I have suggested is anything to do with building an out and out race car, it is all simple stuff which will give you a usable car on the strip which will also make it better on the road. As you have already mentioned new shocks, springs and anti-roll bars in your profile on here then would making those shocks adjustable and adding a better torque arm, lower control arms and LCA relocators really hurt?
But if its all about creating as much "stick" as possible then just put the biggest softest tyre with the biggest footprint you can find on there...
And as I said although he hasn't appeared yet... Lee Child at L A Racing Parts will sort you out. http://www.laracingparts.com/
Mickey Thompson ET Street Radial 26x10.50/R16 Part No. 3793R if you are insistent on sticking with a stock 16" Z28 rim.
But if its all about creating as much "stick" as possible then just put the biggest softest tyre with the biggest footprint you can find on there...
And as I said although he hasn't appeared yet... Lee Child at L A Racing Parts will sort you out. http://www.laracingparts.com/
Mickey Thompson ET Street Radial 26x10.50/R16 Part No. 3793R if you are insistent on sticking with a stock 16" Z28 rim.
Edited by TheMighty on Monday 7th October 21:34
TheMighty speaks from experience here so I'd listen. If you want to go down the D/R route you want to make the most of what is to be gained by fitting a pair.
Firstly if the car is lowered you need to correct the geometry, I gained nearly two tenths just by fitting some re-location brackets to the axle to put the LCA back to where they should be.
The prop shaft loop is a must, if you are running D/R or slicks you should fit one as a matter of course.
Ohh and I wouldn't drive to and from the track on them either (Lee will no doubt tell you the same) as you'll wear them out in no time.
Firstly if the car is lowered you need to correct the geometry, I gained nearly two tenths just by fitting some re-location brackets to the axle to put the LCA back to where they should be.
The prop shaft loop is a must, if you are running D/R or slicks you should fit one as a matter of course.
Ohh and I wouldn't drive to and from the track on them either (Lee will no doubt tell you the same) as you'll wear them out in no time.
Thanks for the info.
I hear and understand and agree with it all. However I'm pretty sure stickier tyres will help too. Although maybe this is only at the strip (I would not run them on the road).
I haven't actually been to the strip for a long time, but only due to how slippery it always seems to be. The last time I went AWD Impreza's and even a 118bhp Elise where struggling big time off the line. And I mean the Elise was wheel spinning 50 yards down the track and the Impreza was turning sides with all 4 wheels spinning.
I think or "believe" I can be fairly consistent with my car. When I tested it on the service road as you turn off the strip at Santa Pod (it was quiet and I didn't go high speed, just stopped and launched) there appeared to be way more grip and full on WOT launches could be achieved with ease, as is the case on many roads and other places I've driven.
But the strip always feels like driving on very wet muddy grass. You only have to breath in the direction of the throttle pedal and it'll light up the tyres using only 1/5th of the pedal travel.
I hear and understand and agree with it all. However I'm pretty sure stickier tyres will help too. Although maybe this is only at the strip (I would not run them on the road).
I haven't actually been to the strip for a long time, but only due to how slippery it always seems to be. The last time I went AWD Impreza's and even a 118bhp Elise where struggling big time off the line. And I mean the Elise was wheel spinning 50 yards down the track and the Impreza was turning sides with all 4 wheels spinning.
I think or "believe" I can be fairly consistent with my car. When I tested it on the service road as you turn off the strip at Santa Pod (it was quiet and I didn't go high speed, just stopped and launched) there appeared to be way more grip and full on WOT launches could be achieved with ease, as is the case on many roads and other places I've driven.
But the strip always feels like driving on very wet muddy grass. You only have to breath in the direction of the throttle pedal and it'll light up the tyres using only 1/5th of the pedal travel.
That sounds fairly crazy - but it makes me wonder about your pre run routine?
Do you do a burnout, or drive through the waterbox or drive around the waterbox?
Im thinking that either your tyres dont like the process your putting them through, or your ending up with water between you and the track... You may want to try changing what you do there - you could try driving around the water box and not burning out, or driving around the water box and doing a short spin of the tyres to just clean them up. Burnouts on street treads can make them greasy. Another thing that could be happening is with water collecting either in the grooves of the tyre or maybe in the wheel wells and then finding there way back to the track on the run. The track is definately stickier than a normal road, even in a very mild state of prep. Trust me after doing some launches in my dragster on a completely unprepared surface that there is a _huge_ amount of difference between the grip levels, and if your not getting grip then theres something else thats wrong... but it doesnt mean you should run out and get new tyres. If you put on a "race" tyre then you are putting alot more strain on to your car and your much more likely to break something. Also I guess you could consider your tyre pressures too. I remember Paul Marston writing a nice article on finding the right pressure for your tyres. If the pressure is too high after the burnout it would reduce the contact patch and that would give you less grip.
Setting up a door car chassis for drag racing isnt something ive had to do - but maybe the launch on the race track is actually putting more load into your current setup than your seeing on an unprepared surface and that is meaning that its not working as well for you - maybe that is in line with what Mighty is saying?
Do you do a burnout, or drive through the waterbox or drive around the waterbox?
Im thinking that either your tyres dont like the process your putting them through, or your ending up with water between you and the track... You may want to try changing what you do there - you could try driving around the water box and not burning out, or driving around the water box and doing a short spin of the tyres to just clean them up. Burnouts on street treads can make them greasy. Another thing that could be happening is with water collecting either in the grooves of the tyre or maybe in the wheel wells and then finding there way back to the track on the run. The track is definately stickier than a normal road, even in a very mild state of prep. Trust me after doing some launches in my dragster on a completely unprepared surface that there is a _huge_ amount of difference between the grip levels, and if your not getting grip then theres something else thats wrong... but it doesnt mean you should run out and get new tyres. If you put on a "race" tyre then you are putting alot more strain on to your car and your much more likely to break something. Also I guess you could consider your tyre pressures too. I remember Paul Marston writing a nice article on finding the right pressure for your tyres. If the pressure is too high after the burnout it would reduce the contact patch and that would give you less grip.
Setting up a door car chassis for drag racing isnt something ive had to do - but maybe the launch on the race track is actually putting more load into your current setup than your seeing on an unprepared surface and that is meaning that its not working as well for you - maybe that is in line with what Mighty is saying?
I tried pretty much all of the above if I'm honest. Burn out, no burn out, water, no water and so on.
But it was still slippery.
I admit these are RWYB days, so maybe the track prep is different. And I may be have been unlucky due to outside temps (I should try and go in summer more so).
But there is no denying every time I've driven at Santa Pod it is way more slippery than any other paved surface I've driven on. (Found this with different cars too, not just the Camaro).
I just found it a bit tedious not being able to use WOT until 60mph+ and then only carefully. Whereas if I go out down the road now the car will hook up lovely. Therefore logic says it must be the actual surface.
I certainly don't deny suspension/chassis upgrades would be of benefit, but I'm not convinced they'll actually solve the issue I've been having.
But it was still slippery.
I admit these are RWYB days, so maybe the track prep is different. And I may be have been unlucky due to outside temps (I should try and go in summer more so).
But there is no denying every time I've driven at Santa Pod it is way more slippery than any other paved surface I've driven on. (Found this with different cars too, not just the Camaro).
I just found it a bit tedious not being able to use WOT until 60mph+ and then only carefully. Whereas if I go out down the road now the car will hook up lovely. Therefore logic says it must be the actual surface.
I certainly don't deny suspension/chassis upgrades would be of benefit, but I'm not convinced they'll actually solve the issue I've been having.
I'll have a look at the temps etc. that we recorded at the RWYB dial in day at the start of the year when I get home, but that track was certainly not race prepped and I don’t think anybody was having issues, another S197 Mustang on street tyres seemed to be able to run similar 1/4 mile times to what I was running in stock setup on street tyres at York give or take a tenth.
If you can make it, bring the car to York Raceway this Sunday and see if you have the same/similar issues.
If you can make it, bring the car to York Raceway this Sunday and see if you have the same/similar issues.
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